Bottle brush



July 31, 192s.

B. B1 JACKSON BOTTLE BRUSH 2 sheds-sheet i July 31, i928.

BOTTLE BRUSH Filed Supt. 5, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN Bi JACKSON, OF DELPHI, INDIANA.

BOTTLE BRUSH.

Application filed September 3, 1927. Serial No. 217,385.

The present invention relates to brushes and is more particularly concerned with the,

provision of a brush which is especially adapted to be used in cleaning bottles or the 5 like.

lVhile I have termed my brush a bottle brush, I desire it to be understood that wherever the term bottle is employedin this specification and in the claims it is used in a generic sense including all types of receptacles in which it may be of especial advantage to use my brush byreason of a .restricted opening available for the insertion or manipulation of a cleaning tool.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a brush which is especially adapted for cleaning bottles or the like comprising a plurality of bristles which are distributed along a central supporting member in such manner that the bristles are brought into intimate contact with all parts of the interior of the bottle to facilitate the cleaning operation.

Another object of ,myv invention is the provision of a brush of the class described having a supporting member which is curved in three dimensions after the manner of a conical spiral of increasing diameter and pitch,` said supporting member carrying a plurality of bristles uniformly distributed along its length and having a handle located substantially axially of the conical spiral for projecting out of the neck of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages of myin- Vention will appear more fully from the following vdescription and from the accompanying drawings in which similar characters' of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several'views.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my brush within a bottle showing the bottle in'cross section.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of my brush at right angles to the view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the handle and bristle supporting member showing the outline of the bristles in dotted lines.`

Fig. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 5 is an elevational ,sectional View of another embodiment of my bottle brush,

Fig. 6 is a similar elevational view of another embodiment of the bottle brushv in a slightly different position.

In the dra-wings, 10 indicates in its entirety my bottle brush which comprises a handle 11, a bristle supporting member 12, and a plurality of bristles 13 distributed along said supporting member.

The bristle supporting member 12 preferably consists of one or more wires 14 twisted together with bristles of substantially uniform length, preferably uniformly distributed along the `line of contact between the wires '14. While I have shown but two wires or rods twisted together, I desire it to be understood that a greater number may be employed or the bristles may be secured fby llgtlier methods to a single supporting memer. .l I The shape of the supporting member 12 is one of the most important features of my invention, and this bristle supporting meniber is bent to form a curve of three dimensions. 'I-hat is to say, the bristle supporting member 12 progresses after the manner of a screw forming a conical spiral and this conical spiral preferably increases in diameter toward thelowerfeiid 15 of the bristle supporting member. The conical spiral also preferably increasesin pitch toward the lower end and when the bristle supporting member is provided with bristles 13, the outline of the brush formed by the end of the bristles becomes substantially like that shown in Figs, 2 and 3.

The bristles bending, but which readily resume a position at substantially right Vanglesto lthe bristle support-ing member after the bending force is removed and any type of bristles may beused which are adapted to stand long usage in water and cleaning operations. I desire it to be understood that my inven` tion also includes the use of resilient bristles of steel wire, iion-corroding wire or other metallic wires which may be used for this purpose. 4

As the bristle supporting member 12iis in t employed are preferably i bristles which may readily be deformed vloo the form of a conical spiral of increasing pitch and diameter, it will be observed that the upper end 16 will gradually approach the axis of the conical spiral having infinite Lil pitch and zero diameter and in eilect the end 16 extends axially ont the conical spiral. This end may be formed into an integral metal handle oi wire, but 1 prefer to provide a wooden handle 11. The wooden handle 11 may consist ot' a `simple wooden rod having a bore 17 in its lower end into which the end 16 of the bristle supporting member 12 may be tightly driven to be retained therein. 1 thus provide a simple and inexpensive handle which may be manufactured trom stock lumber. The handle should preferably be et su'tlicient length to project 'l'rom any ordinary bottle or receptacle when the brush is in the' position shown in Fig. 1, leaving suliicient oi the handle projecting for convenient manipulation. j

As my bristle supporting member is formed in the shape ot' a screw or conical spiral it will be observed that the end 15 ot the brush and bristle supporting member may be inserted at the mouth 18 o't' a bottle or other receptacle having a small opening and although the bristles project on either side of the handle to points greater than the inside of the bottle, the brush may be screwed into the opening 18 in a manner substantially like the insertion ot a cork screw.

During this operation the bristles 13 bend upward against the bristle supporting member and after they have passed the neck of' the bottle their position is determined by the space within the bottle. As my brush takes the form of a conical spiral there is a continuous line of contact from the top et the interior of the bottle at one side down and around to the bottom of the bottle upon another' side. For cleaning large bottles the conical spiral 12 may make one or more turns, but for cleaning ordinary small bottles the conical spiral need only make one turn or less than a turn. 1f desired7 the end 15 may be extended to scrape in the corners 19 adjacent the base ot the bottle thereby aiding in cleaning these points by dislodging any solid particles.

It will thus be observed that I have provided a brush which is adapted to contactwith all portions ot the interior of a bottle so that the bottle may be cleaned by simply rotating the brush therein and bottles may be more easily and readily cleaned with a brush ot this form than with any o't the brushes oi the prior art. rlfhe provision ot a bristle supporting member of increasing diameter contorins the brush to the neck of the bottle and enables the provision ot an axially extending handle to protrude from the neck of the bottle.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, I have here shown two embodiments oit my bottle brush which are peculiarly adapted for convenient manipulation within a bottle. The handle l1 in Fig. 5 may have its upper end slightly bent as at 20, after the manner oi a crank, and the crank should preferably be located in each ot these embodiments at the opposite side of the axis or handle from which `the end 15 of the brush projects. That is, in Fig. 5 it will be noted that the handle 2O is bent toward the lett while the lower. end 15 of the brush projects toward the right.

The operation oit this type of brush is substantially the same as that of the previous embodiments except that a'tter the brush has been inserted in the bottle, the bottle may be grasped by one hand and the bent end 2() ot the handle by the other, and the brush may be very easily rotated in the bottle, facilitating the cleaning operation.

In this operation the pressure exerted upon the bent end 20' tends to force t-he end 15 of the brush into the corners of the bottle, and axial pressure exerted upon the handle tends to force the brush against the bottom of the bottle. It should also be noted that such axial pressure may detorm the resilient bristle supporting member, decreasing the pitch of the screw shaped supporting member and"bringing the brush into closer engagement with the walls of the bottle so that they may be eifectively cleaned.

ln cleaning the upper portions ot' the bottle adjacent the neck, the same action may take place between the brush and the walls of the bottle, because the walls ot the bottle will tend to compress the screw shaped brush into a-smaller form, decreasing the diameter of the conical spiral. However, when it isdesired to remove the brush, the conical spiral can be readily moved outward by screwing'it out of the neck o't the bottle.

The handle 11, shown in Fig. 5, may be made of wood or it may be made of aV piece of metal tubing having a bore of su'tiicient size to hold the wire supporting member 12 when it is forced into the tubing. A handle ot' metal tubing has the advantage that it can be conveniently bent to any shape desired. y

In the embodiment oit Fig. 6, the supporting member 12 has itself been extended to :torm a handle 11, being bent at substantially right angles as at 22 and again at right angles at 23 to form a crank 21. The extreme end et the wire may be bent over as at 211 so as to present a round end which cannot injure the hand and this embodiment merely illustrates one more of the many forms which my bottle brush may take.

l desire to be understood that the crank may be formed either in Fig. 5 or Fig, and 1 employ the term crank in a generic sense covering both or' these forms.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of my invention, many modiiications maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes Within the scope of the appended Claims.

Having thus described myinvention, what l claim as nev7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A cleaning brush comprising a plurality of deformable cleaningmembers Carried by a supporting member adapted to be inserted longitudinally in the neck of a bottle and conically spiralled to bring Certain of said cleaning members into simultaneous engagement with the Wall, bottom and bottom corner of the bottle.

2. A Cleaning brush comprising a plurality oi bristles and a supporting member for the same, said supporting member being curved like a helix of increasing diameter and pitch and having an axially projecting handle.

3. A bottle brush comprising a rod-like core having` transversely extended bristles carried thereby, the core being conieally spiral with its end portion arranged to extend substantially along the bottom corner of the bottle when in use With the transversely extending bristles pressing into the corner, and with the bristles at other portions pressing against the side Wall of the bottle substantially throughout its height.

VIn Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of August, 1927.

BENJAMIN B. JACKSON. 

